Metallic flooring



Ey 4, w44. E PEREMI E1- AL 2,353,068

yMETALLIC FLOORING Filed April 18, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY ,g4/m y ha? ATTORNEYS July 4, 1944, E. PEREMI ETAL METALLICl FLOORING Filed April 18, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS uy 4W E94@ E, PEREM; ET AL 2,3539@ METALLIC FLOORING 'Filed April 18. 1942 5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented July 4, 1944 METALLIC FLOORING Edmund Peremi, Manhasset, and Louis Toth, Flushing. N. Y., assignors to General Bronze Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 18, 1942, Serial No. 439,584

3 Claims. (Cl. 189--34) This invention relates to metallic flooring suitable for use in locations where a strong, rigid and light metallic flooring is needed which shall possess good non-skid properties. Such flooring is particularly useful in engine rooms, as forinstance on boats, and for galleries around the engines, for catwalks and other purposes, and it is an object of the invention to provide a construction suitable for such purposes.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a gun platform construction which shall be very light, but at the same time rigid, and which shall present a surface on which the gunners can obtain a firm stance without danger of slipping.

It is also an object to provide a metal floor construction of such nature, due to the formation of its surface and to the manner of, its reinforcement, that resilience is reduced so that when the flooring is used with an anti-aircraft gun for instance, the empty shells discharged downwardly by the gun when striking the oor will bounce to a minimum extent. Danger to the gunners from bouncing shells is thus reduced.

The invention can best be understood by reference to specific examples and such examples are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional plan view of a boat. for instance a submarine, showing an engine having a ooring embodying the present invention surrounding the same, and also showing a catwalk employing the improved construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the engine platform shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the general outline of a gun platform in which the invention is embodied.

Figure 5 is a plan view on a larger scale of one quadrant of the platform shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6 of Figure 5. Y Figure 'l is a vertical section on line 'i-l of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Figure 5. 4

Figure 9 is a plan view on a large scale showing a portion of the oor surface.

Figure 10 is a vertical section on line I0-I0 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a vertical section on line I I-I I of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a vertical section on line I2-I2 of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a section similar to Figure 11 of a l modified construction, and

Figures 14 and 15 are transverse vertical sections showing modifled constructions of supporting ribs.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 illustrates typical uses of the novel construction shown. Figure 1 shows a boat, for instance a submarine, having an engine l winch is surrounded by a flooring or platform embodying the present invention. As illustrated there is placed at each side of the engine a flooring section 2 and around the end of the engine is a section 3. Leading from the engine room to the bow of the boat is a. catwalk 4 which may also be composed of sections of the improved ooring. 'Ihe flooring sections comprise floor plates 2@ of a novel construction which will be more particularly described below, such plates being reinforced in any suitable manner, as by means of angle irons or anges 6 surrounding the margins thereof, and intermediate reinforcing ribs l secured to the under side of the floor plates where needed, (Fig. 3). These reinforcements also present features of novelty, as will be more particularly de'- scribed.

Figure 4 shows a typical form of platform used for anti-aircraft guns. This platform consists of four quadrants I0, Il, I2 and I3. As shown, the quadrants I0 and II and the quadrants I2 and I3 'are connected by hinges I5 and the quadrants I0 and I2 and Il and I3 bylremovable links I6, the central part of the platform being open so that the platform may be assembled around the gun carriage. The platform oor is made of suitable material, preferably a plate 20 of thin sheet steel or the like, similar to the plate shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This is preferably reinforced and finished along its edges as more particularly shown in Fig. 6. Secured beneath the outer edge of the floor plate, preferably by welding, is a channel member 22 of special shape which has an outer leg 24 connected to the base of the channel by means of a smooth curved portion 25. This portion projects somewhat beyond the edge of the floor plate. The inner leg 26 of the channel is preferably straight and longer than the leg 2li. The margins of both legs are prei"- erably bent over to form beads, as indicated at 21so as to provide smooth edges which will not cut the fingers ofthe men placing the platform in'position. The curved portion 25, projecting beyond the edge of the iioor plate, also forms a smooth finish so that the men will be protected from injury, such as would occur if they came in contact with a sharp corner. The channel construction provides great rigidity and also forms a convenient grip when handling the platform.

At the inner edge surrounding the opening for the gun mount, the noor plate is provided with an angle iron construction 30 having a vertical leg 3| terminating in a folded over bead 32. The horizontal leg of the angle extends inside of the edge of the floor plate and is curved upwardly as shown at 33, so as to provide a toe-hold flange.

, This upward curve also makes the parts easier to take hold of without cutting the fingers on a sharp corner.

The floor plate is also provided with reinforcing members between its edges which are constructed so as to secure the maximum of strength with the minimum of weight. These reinforcements comprise primarily hollow V- shaped ribs 40 (similar to ribs 'l shown in Fig. 3) which are secured to the under side of the floor plate. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the ribs have flanges 4l adapted to -be spot welded to the plate. If desired the flanges 4I may be omitted as shown in Figure 14 in-which case the ribs are preferably attached by arc welding. In some instances the reinforcing ribs may be formed directly in the metal of the plates as shown in Figure 15, but the separate welded reinforcing ribs arev preferred. In the construction shown in Figure 5 a longitudinal rib 43 is attached .part way in from the outer margin of the plate and another rib 44 is attached more or less towards the inner margin thereof. Transverse ribs are provided as indicated at 46 and these may have portions carried to the inner margin of the plate, as indicated at 48. Obviously 'the`arrangement of these ribs may be varied to suit circumstances. The hollow V- shaped ribs are all carefully sealed at their ends, so that moisture cannot get within the same, and cause corrosion. For instance, the ribs 4B are -welded at their outer ends to the legs 26 of the outer marginal channels and at their inner ends to the legs 3l as shown in Figure 6, while wherever an end of a rib would otherwise be open, the same is closed by a plate welded, as for ihstance the plate 50 shown in Figure 8.

The longitudinal and transverse ribs may be of different depths so that the shallower ribs may be carried through the deeper ribs at the points of intersection by cutting properly shaped cutouts in the deeper ribs through which the shallower rbs pass. The lines of intersection are then welded, as indicated at 5| in Fig. 6, so as to prevent leakage of moisture into the cut-out ribs. Fig. 6 shows a transverse rib 46 passing through a V-shaped cut-out in the deeper longitudnal rib 43. Wherever possible large ribs such as 43', 44 and 46 are utilized, but where something would interfere with the use of a rib of such size, smaller ri-bs are utilized, as for instance the ribs shown at 52 and 53 in Fig. 8. In some instances portions of a rib may be of large section and portions of small section, as shown for example in a rib shown in dotted lines in the third quadrant of Figure 4, the large section being indicated at 55 and the smaller section being indicated at 56. In such instances, where the ribs join a welded joint is used between the parts with a closure plate if necessary so as to prevent leakage. l

A very important feature of the invention comprises the formation of the floor plates them'- "mation with relatively sharp apices, as this provides the best non-skid formation. The ribs 62l are preferably rectangularly arranged around each of the large perforations, the size of the rectangles being sufficiently large to permit good engagement of the heels of the shoes of the men with the ribs. I'his arrangement is found to give a very satisfactory and nr'm stance, and holds the feet of the men against slipping better than small knobs, ridges or the like. Owing to the rectangular arrangement, slipping is prevented equally well in any direction. The arrangement of \the'-ribs around the large perforations also permits the formation of the ribs to be easily produced without danger of objectionable warping or distorting the plate as a whole. 'I'his appears to be due tothe fact that the amount of metal between the ribs and the edges of the perforation 60 is not very great, and the perforations permit the metal to give to some extent, so that it may be more readily drawn up into the ribs. The ribs are preferably of such length that they do not. actually cross, the adjacent ends of the ribs being slightly spaced from one another. At the point where they would intersect, however, if continued, the metal is preferably raised to form low bosses or knobs 65 which merge more or less into the rounded ends 61 of the ribs. This construction permits the ribs to be formed without sharp ends or without breaks of any kind in theV metal, and the presence of the bosses or knobs strengthens the plate against bending along diagonal lines passing through the intersection points between the ribs. The rigidity of the plate as a whole is thus enhanced. The bosses or knobs 65 may, however, in some instances be omitted, as shown for instance in Fig. 13.

The formation of the floor plate as described with the rectangular sets of ribs surrounding the large perforations lends itself to ready manufacture, as the plates may be pressed or rolled between dies having retractible parts so that wherever desired the large perforations and their surrounding ribs may be omitted by retracted corresponding die parts in a. well understood manner. Thus as shown in Fig. 5, the perforations and ribs are omitted on the parts of the floor plate over the reinforcing members and at any other points where they could be objectionable, as fory instance over the part indicated in dotted 'lines at 80 in Fig. 5. At such points, or wherever else it may be desirable, the plate is left unperforated. Y

The construction described provides a maximum of rigidity for weight, and is most effective in providing a firm foothold. When used as a gun platform it also provides a flooring on which there is a minimum of bounce of shell cases dis.

ing non-skid and non-resilient properties including a sheet metal floor plate having series of parallel rows of large spaced perforations therethrough in even geometric pattern, said perforations being surrounded by short raised ribs of inverted V shape formed in the metal of the oor plate between said rows of perforations and between individual perforations of rows, raised bosses formed in said plate between the ends of said ribs, reinforcing means for said plate including a plurality of hollow channel members welded to the underside thereof, said members being of varying depths and intersecting each other at spaced points, the shallower member of a pair of intersecting vchannel members passing through the deeper at such points of intersection and being welded thereto, said hollow members being sealed at their ends and points of intersection to prevent entrance to moisture within said members, and said oor plate being imperforate over said channel members.

2. A ooring of the character described havy ing non-skid and non-resilientproperties including a sheet metal floor plate having series of rows of large spaced perforations therethrough in even geometric pattern, said perforations being surrounded by short ribs of inverted V shape formed in the metal of the oor plate between said rows of perforations and between individual perforations of rows, and raised bosses formed in said plate between the ends of said ribs, the arrangement providing a set of four ribs disposed in substantially rectangular relation about individual perforations with said bosses being situated substantially at each corner of said rectangle, the diameter of the perforations being at least half the width of the rectangles.

3. A non-skid flooring of the character described comprising a sheet metal floor plate having series of rows of large spaced perforations therethrough in even geometric pattern, said perforations being surrounded .by raised ribs pressed in the metal of the oor plate between the rows of perforations and between the individual perforations of the rows, and raised bosses formed in said plate between the ends of said ribs, the arrangement providing sets of four ribs disposed about individual perforations, the disposition of the ribs and bosses being such that no straight line can be drawn across the plate in any direction which ds not intersect embossed portions of the plate, whereby lines of bending weakness are avoided, the diameter oi each of said perforations being at least half of the width of the space enclosed by a corresponding set of four ribs.

EDMUND PEREMI. LOUIS TOTH. 

